Tag: Reviewer – Vicki Griffin

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Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver. Scholastic UK. ISBN: 9781407132280 RRP: $9.99 Release date: August 2012. Age: 8+ years. Reviewer: Vicki Griffin. BA-UNE With Henry Winkler as one of the authors I am impressed, he is best known for his role in the TV Series ‘Happy Days’ as the ‘Fonz.’ His passion for children along with Lin Oliver certainly shows within the pages of this book. Billy Broccoli (such a cool name) – the main character – never thought he would […]

Subscribe to Monthly Updates Now! One simple email with all the latest reviews, easy. Kathryn England Illustrator; Emma Stuart New Frontier Publishing – Little Rocket series RRP: $12.95 Market: 7+ years. ISBN: 9781921928239 Publication Date: August 2012 Reviewer: Vicki Griffin. BA-UNE. The very first thing that struck me about this book is the quality of paper it’s printed on, its thick and has a wonderful feel to it. The illustrations throughout are charming and quite whimsical. The text is fairly large […]

Subscribe to Monthly Updates Now! One simple email with all the latest reviews, easy. Jackie French Scholastic Press RRP: $9.99 Release Date: August 2012 ISBN: 978142833842 Age: 6+ Years Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. BA-UNE I have to say I absolutely adore Jackie French’s Animal series and Shark Attack does not disappoint! This time Leo and Mozz are on an adventure to rescue the sharks. An old mining dam has collapsed and a grey nurse shark colony is under attack. Will Leo and […]

Subscribe to Monthly Updates Now! One simple email with all the latest reviews, easy. L.D. Taylor Wombat Books ISBN: 9781921632259 Young adult Publication Date: Oct 2012 RRP: $16.95 Reviewer: Vicki Griffin An interesting thriller about Phil who believes his father’s death was not an accident. Everyone had hated his dad because he had kept the rights to ‘the game’ before a sequel could be made. He had designed ‘the game’ and kids everywhere also hated him but where does Phil start […]

Subscribe to Monthly Updates Now! One simple email with all the latest reviews, easy. Colin Thompson Random House Australia ISBN: 978174275104 RRP: $19.95 Publication Date: October 2012 8+ years Category: Witches and Wizards. Reviewer: Vicki Griffin This is a great book full of trivia, disgusting recipes, strange poem and gross stories that will have yellow boils appear on you… it is a jumble of everything disgusting with a few facts thrown in- Wizard or witch will love it. The drawings throughout […]

Subscribe to Monthly Updates Now! One simple email with all the latest reviews, easy. Katrina Roe Illustrator; Leigh Headstrom Wombat Books ISBN: 978-1-921633-36-2 Publication Date: 1st September 2012 RRP: $19.95 (Hardcover) Ages 4+ Years Reviewer: Vicki Griffin A quaint book all about Marty the monkey who loves parties then he finds out he’s allergic to nuts. His mouth goes funny and swells up and he ends up in hospital. Oh dear all the other monkeys can eat nuts but not Marty! […]

Subscribe to Monthly Updates Now! One simple email with all the latest reviews, easy. Shane Howard Illustrations: School children One Day Hill (Scholastic Australia) Teachers Notes ISBN; 9780987313911 RRP: $24.95 Available 2012. Ages: 5+ years Reviewer: Vicki Griffin Solid Rock was created by singer/songwriter Shane Howard after a moving experience at Uluru. It is one of those Aussie songs that will be passed down. It depicts the subject of aboriginal rights in Australia. It is an Australian story and this book […]

Author, Ruby Hunter & Archie Roach Illustrator Ruby Hunter One Day Hill (Scholastic Australia) ISBN,9780980794847 RRP. $19.99 Available Sept 2012. 8+ years Reviewer: Vicki Griffin A wonderful collection of songs by passionate indigenous advocate Ruby Hunter and how they came about, each of the children’s songs tells a unique story and are educational. Whilst travelling and documenting Ruby’s journey through Cape York and the different communities Ruby’s ability to communicate with children is remarkable. The songs in this book take […]

Author: Hazel Edwards Illustrator: Pat Reynolds New Frontier Publishing ISBN 9781921042751 9+ years RRP: $14.95 Reviewer: Vicki Griffin A great book for our school kids educating them in the wonderful work Professor Hollows has done as an eye doctor. The text is simple and it tells the story of his journey from becoming an eye doctor, to outback medicine, meeting Sir Edmund Hilary and the legacy he has left behind. Most children will be astounded at the work and people […]

Philip Reeve Scholastic UK RRP; $16.99 Release Date; July 2012. ISBN9781407115276 Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. BA-UNE. ‘Goblins’ by Philip Reeve what can I say! The book itself is aesthetically pleasing, the front cover is green and is shimmery, each page has a green border around it and bits and pieces of goblins appear on the pages. Basically Clovenstone (The town) houses the most blood thirsty goblins; they love to fight amongst other things. Whilst reading this book one is drawn […]

Catherine Bateson Omnibus books for Scholastic Australia RRP; $16.99 Release date; August 2012. ISBN; 9781862919815 Market; primary school children. Reviewer: Vicki Griffin ‘Star’ is a great read especially for girls! Star the character lives with her mother and a family friend named Charlie, her own father has died and she has to deal with the ups and downs of life. The emotions throughout this story are very real and any young girl will relate to them. Charlie has children from […]

Luke Edwards Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia. Release Date; August 2012. RRP; $16.99 ISBN; 9781862919419 Reviewed By Vicki Griffin. BA-UNE. Be Home for Armageddon is a strange yet interesting book. The actual storyline is quite fragmented and seems to be a jumble of everything mixed together from comedy to science. Victor the main character and Soo believe the end of the world is coming or could it just all be a conspiracy. The opening chapter gets the reader in, especially […]

Author; Jess Black Publisher; Random House Release Date; 2 July 2012. ISNB; 9781864718423 RRP $12.95 Marker- Confident Readers. Reviewer: Vicki Griffin I have read a lot of the Bindi series and especially books written by Jess Black however I found ‘Bindi Behind The Scenes’ didn’t grab my attention like the rest of the ‘Bindi books. This time Bindi is off for a special appearance in the US for a TV show ‘Riding High’. Bindi discovers that the other teenagers […]

Author; Valerie Thomas Illustrator; Janet Wolf New frontier Publishing Market; 7+ ISBN; 9781921928222 RRP $12.95 Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. ‘Gertie the Witch’ is part of ‘The Little Rocket Series’ and is fast paced! Like book 1, ‘Gertie Gets it Right’ both books are basically a fantasy that is funny, filled with spells that go wrong, adventure and great dialogue! Who doesn’t want to be a young witch! Gertie born from a long line of witches seems to turn every spell […]

Darcy Dugan with Michael Tatlow Published by Harper Collins Australia Released 1st August 2012. ISBN: 9780732295523 RRP: $29.99 Reviewer: Vicki Griffin I think everyone in Australia knows the name ‘Darcy Dugan’ and now that all his enemies are gone Australia’s most notorious escape artist can finally tell his story. This book exposes high levels of political and police corruption in NSW in the late 1900’s. Dugan a career robber escaped from inescapable jails six times and the name Bloodhouse is the nickname […]

Author; inspired by Daniel Staunton a Camp Quality child. Publisher; Scholastic Australia. RRP; $9.99 Release Date; August 2012. Market; Any age. ISBN; 978142833194 Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. BA-UNE. What an absolute joke this book is! Laughter is a key ingredient in one’s well-being and this book full of funny and sometimes stupid jokes does just that! Did you know that if you laugh 100 times a day it is equivalent to the same amount of exercise from 15 […]

Mac Park Lemon Fizz Scholastic. ISBN: 9781921931178 RRP: $9.99 Age: 6+ Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. Kai Masters has his hands full in this chapter book, beasts have escaped back into Beastium and Kai needs the help of Border Guard Ying Li and her robotic cat! Something strange is happening and will Kai and Ying Li be able to stop it? With yellow toxic mud, rock bombing hawks and a massive bunch of flying toxic jellyfish Kai and his Border Guard are […]

Mac Park Lemon Fizz Scholastic. Publication date: July 2012. ISBN: 97811921931185 RRP: $9.99 Age: 6+ Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. As with all Boys vs. Beast books another battle is looming! A wall is the only thing that separates earth from Beastium and Kai Masters Border Guard and beast battler must decide which border guards can help him battle the mutants. These beasts are new and he has to build a team and protect Earth at any cost. Battle of the […]

Donna M Smith Jelli-Beanz Publishing ISBN; 9780980861020 Audience primary school age – Grade 1-3. Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. ‘Billy Cart Derby’ is predominately an early reader text, the words are large, black and white pictures accompany most pages and there are only 29 pages. The story line covers a Billy cart race at Happy Valley Primary School between Grade two and Grade three and the children are excited! TJ, Ben and Jaz interact and it shows through the dialogue their […]

Neil Murray One Day Hill, distributed by Scholastic Australia Publication; July2012. ISBN; 9780 980794892 Age; 8+ Non-fiction RRP. $19.99 Illustrated by students around Australia. Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. ‘Black fella White fella’ is one of those books that have one smiling. It is an innovative idea based on a song that came to the author in 1982 when living in Papunya; he was a white fella living amongst black fellas. It is a very simple concept,’ it doesn’t matter […]

Author; Kate Egan. Publisher; Scholastic Inc. RRP; $24.99 Publication date; March 2012 ISBN; 9780545422901 Reviewed by Vicki Griffin. BA-UNE, The Hunger Games has become a phenomenal success so it’s only fitting that this movie companion is released for its diehard fans. The Hunger Games revolves around a simple storyline – the rules are simple, in punishment of the uprising each district (there are 12 districts) must provide one boy and one girl called tributes to participate. The twenty-four tributes are […]

Jackie French Illustrator; Terry Whildborne Scholastic Australia RRP; $9.99 Release date; May 2012. ISBN; 978142833835 Market; Primary school children. Jackie French has done it again! Made an otherwise dreary tale about an animal rescue exciting! This time it involves Glam Rock a famous rock star and his tame Tiger. Leo and Mozz are watching television when Glam Rock and his tiger come on, apparently Glam helps to save Siberian tigers from extinction and his tiger is part of that breeding […]

Author; Christobel Mattingley National Library of Australia Buy me: http://bookshop.nla.gov.au/book/my-fathers-islands.do ISBN; 978064227736 Market; Ages 9 + $16.95 Reviewed By Vicki Griffin. Being an Australian we should all know about Abel Tasman’s Heroic journey, he discovered Tasmania, New Zealand and mapped a large section of the north and west coasts of Australia. Sadly a lot of our children don’t know this amazing story. Tasman had hardly any charts or records to assist him out in the ocean yet he was willing to […]

Author: Doug Macleod Illustrator: Craig Smith Publisher: Working Title Press Publication Date: March 2012 Format: Hardback ISBN: 9781921504433 For ages: 5+ RRP; $24.99 Reviewed By Vicki Griffin. What a quirky little book! Sister Madge’s Book of Nuns is one of those funny rhyming stories that twists one’s tongue but one can’t help but have fun. It is about nuns and each little story (there are 13 stories) is about a different nun and her mishaps. Try holding in one’s giggles whilst reading this […]